The coal mining industry in India is definitely moving forward in the right direction and in that respect, Shailendra Wahal, CEO (Talcher Operations) of Sainik Mining and Allied Services Limited, elaborates to N. Balasubramanian & Rajesh Rajgor about the status of the industry, the entire spectrum of associated logistics and their fleet of Tata Motors’ trucks
India is the third-largest coal producing and mining country in the world. The country mined 602 million tonnes of coal in FY 2019-20 and reports suggest that it is on its way to mine excess of 700 million tonnes in the current fiscal year. While most other heavy industries have taken a big blow in production during the pandemic, coal production is on track, said Anil Jain, Coal Secretary of India, in a media report. The coal that’s produced in the country not only helps in reducing imports, but also powers 80% of electricity generation, which in turn powers the country with a population of 135 crore.
In India, Odisha contributes to the highest share of coal mining with more than 28% of the entire country’s coal resources coming from the state alone. Mining coal is one of the biggest industries in the state and helps in contributing to the GDP of the country. One of the major aspects in coal mining is the excavation, removal and logistics of the produce. One company that assists with the logistics and coal movement is Sainik Mining and Allied Services Limited (SMASL). The company pioneers in introducing new technologies like surface miners for eco-friendly selective coal mining in India and has presence in several states.
A Rewarding Journey
SMASL has been engaged in coal mining activities since 1989 and contributed to 15.22% (92.24 million tonnes) of Coal India Limited’s mines – the country’s largest coal mining company – in FY 2019-20. The company reported a turnover of over Rs 15 billion, double of what the company posted in FY 2013-14. According to Shaliendra Wahal, CEO (Talcher Operations), SMASL, “SMASL has been engaged mainly for operations like removal of overburden, extraction, transportation and loading of coal into railway wagons, mining activities and exploration in other minerals like lignite.”
“In Odisha, we have about 5,000 engaged employees and associates who help with the herculean task of coal mining,” he adds. Wahal sees Tata Motors as one of the biggest stakeholders in its business and attributes a lot of credit to the OEM for its association with the company. He further mentions that Tata Motors has been a valued partner and has extended support and cooperation in its association spanning more than three decades. He also informs that SMASL and its associates run a fleet of around 1,500 vehicles in the state of Odisha alone, and each and every vehicle in the fleet is a Tata Motors’ vehicle.
Matching the Requirements
The company uses only Tata Motors’ tippers as they rank highest in terms of technology and durability on the back of unmatched service and after-sales support. Among the fleet, it uses majority of LPK 2518 tippers, LPK 3118 tippers and Signa 4018 tractors. Elaborates Wahal: “Tata Motors has been proactive in understanding our requirement and has consistently delivered products that bring great value to us while reducing the cost of our operations. One such example is the upgrade to G950 gearbox on the 28 ton tippers, which helps in reaching deeper mines and bringing up loads of coal with ease.”
“Tata Motors has also understood our requirement of stronger chassis to meet the demand of tough mining operations and delivered the products accordingly. We are confident of our strong association with Tata Motors as our business partner as they are constantly working with us to develop and manufacture class-leading vehicles that match our requirement and back it up with excellent after-sales service support at all times,” he adds. Wahal also is ecstatic about Tata Motors’ value-added services like the ‘Samarth’ and ‘Sampoorna Seva’ programs. He claims that Tata Motors has stood up to its commitment to the fullest.
The company has ensured timely availability of spare parts, round-the-clock service and on-site assistance throughout its association. “Tata Motors has not shied off from standing up to its commitment of a turnaround time of eight hours in case of breakdowns – the promise that Tata Motors gives under the Sampoorna Seva program,” Wahal adds. Being a key customer for Tata Motors, SMASL enjoys benefits under loyal programs and has actively been redeeming the ‘Emperor Points’ for service and spare parts.
With regards to training, Wahal is happy about the fact that Tata Motors has trained more than 3,000 drivers and technicians to help with smooth and safe operations. He also credits the uptime of more than 95% for the entire fleet to the training and systematic procedures set by Tata Motors. SMASL’s drivers feel valued and encouraged under Tata Motors’ programs like Samarth, which help in securing financial health of the drivers. Till date, hundreds of drivers have enrolled for the program and availed benefits, with over 200 enrolments in the previous financial year itself.
The Way Forward
Says Wahal: “We are looking forward to induct Tata Motors’ BS VI fleet and confident that the lowered TCO and more powerful drivetrains will help us reap higher profits in our business. Our drivers are looking forward to enhanced safety and comfort features in the BS VI range and also happy about new features like driving modes and hill start assist, amongst other things, not to forget being more environment-friendly.” In fact, Wahal and all of SMASL are confident that the coal mining industry will continue to progress in the coming years and set new benchmarks while the association with its stakeholders will become even stronger.
SMASL is also looking forward to the new BS VI range of trucks from Tata Motors and is assured that it will add to the profits and also be more polite to nature, with its drastically reduced emissions. In all, companies like SMASL contribute to a great extent in nation building – something that the Tata Group has been actively doing ever since its inception.
“Tata Motors and Sainik Mining and Allied Services Limited (SMASL) have partnered for over three decades. Over the years, the partnership has reaped mutual benefits from the proactive contributions as it has helped us improve our products, in terms of performance, total cost of operations and durability. Tata Motors has also been involved in skilling and training of the SMASL staff, with active participation from our vendor and channel partners, which has resulted in tremendous growth of human capital. Tata Motors has put in robust processes to ensure our customers get the best-in-the-industry experience and helping them grow their business in a profitable and sustainable manner. We look forward to the continued strengthening of our alliance with Sainik Mining for mutual benefit and success.”
– RT Wasan, Product Line Head, M&HCV, Tata Motors
RT Wasan: “Tata Motors’ endeavour is to always keep the customers’ interest and well-being at the forefront of everything that we do. Even during these unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic times, Tata Motors along with our channel partners has played a pivotal role in taking care of the well-being of all its stakeholders.”